Beardedbillygoat’s Fish & Shrimp Tank Journal

[anewbie]

On 4/13/2024 at 3:22 PM, Flipper said:

She is SO beautiful. 

re: Plecos.   I've had only one pleco and he/she is a tiny dwarf clown pleco.  I've looked that up many times and Google has never found a single mention of a "dwarf" clown, but my LFS sells them.  I've named it Bashful and just assume he's a boy, because he acts like a boy to me LoL

If I ever get a large tank, I'll try a big pleco.  For now, I absolutely love little Bashful.  I feel protective over him, like he's my baby 👶 ❤️

 

Careful when you say big pleco; some get over 2 feet long.... now that's a nice size pleco....

 

[Flipper]

I forgot to mention that Bashful, my dwarf clown pleco, is about 2 1/2 inches long.  Told you he is tiny ...

😊

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Since arriving in 2022 to the Greater Seattle area I’m always overjoyed to attend our auction. I listened to some other members on YouTube this last week and thought I’d share my experience as this is now my 3rd big auction since arriving. 

Firstly I got there late due to my guest - Big D my 6 year old. He came to our Christmas party and had been begging to come again. He also decided he was done with African Dwarf Frogs, that it was cool that he could sell them and buy more fish that he could breed and sell again. He got $10 for his 2 remaining frogs and used that to buy a pair of Panda Guppies. He then turned around and begged for baby CPDs which I couldn’t resist so he’s got quite a new setup going. 

His brother is not as keen on fish keeping but he loves wheeling and dealing- he wants to be a lawyer, god help us all! So he asked me what could we get for his Variatus Platys and I said well I think at least $10 maybe $20, he got $24. He then said he missed Endlers/guppies so we got him some El Tigre Endlers. 

For Dad well I got a group of L519 plecos to add to my 5 I had

I grabbed 2 Big bags 1 of Livebearers- Mixed Endlers and Variatus Platys + 2 a bag of Coryadoras similis. 

I love our club and have fun everyone!!

[Odd Duck]

I have to say, that was a completely missed opportunity to play Eye of the Tiger!  You’re slipping on finding the perfect music to fit the video!  😉 😂  I expect more from you since you set the precedent and all.  🤣 

I really love my similis cories.  Not as flashy as some cory species but a more soft, subtle beauty that I really enjoy!  Perfect for a close up tank.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Odd DuckI have to agree with you on the similis, the speckling and the color changes, beautiful and adorable especially they threw in about 6-8 babies along with like an equal number of adults and the interactions are just a joy. 
As for my music matching/scoring skills. I have to say that I agree with you that I’m slipping but I also try to not repeat myself. I could have sworn I’d done eye of the tiger. It’s fun regardless. 

[Odd Duck]

On 5/17/2024 at 7:32 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

As for my music matching/scoring skills. I have to say that I agree with you that I’m slipping but I also try to not repeat myself. I could have sworn I’d done eye of the tiger. It’s fun regardless.

Just don’t let your standards slip too far.  That’s a slippery slope, my friend!  😜 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I think sometimes we live a pie in the sky existence in aquaria. “Ideal conditions,” is something we hear and the reality is that doesn’t exist. 
 

I am a year if not two away from  framing out a fish room in my garage. My wife has also expressed a desire to turn that garage space into her office. Her deadbeat brother will need to move out before we even have that discussion. Yet I digress, I’ve realized I have too few outlets to ever expand running things the way they are presently. It is apparent that I’m going to need to change things up. 
 

My thought is why not use nature and the natural variations of temperature in the PNW to my advantage. Choose species that prefer a cooler period and that can then appreciate the summer we have here then enjoy the slow cool off into winter. 
 

I’ve started this with a 40 breeder with Hawaiian variatus and Endlers. It’s a nice tank. It’s got a heater presently but I figure end of summer I’ll just pull the heater and then let them acclimatize slowly over the fall into the winter. 

My next idea is to convert my 60 g breeder this fall. I have a 29 g breeder that I’ve setup and I’d like to use it to raise up some juvie Gymnogeophagus balzanii and maybe some other goodieds or some shiners. I’ve also thought about some Panda corys or Palleatus corys as well.  That group would then transfer into my 60. The current stock in the 60 g would be sold off at the big fall auction - diamond tetras, gold laser corys, and mixed bristlenose ie my calico colony. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I love not having heaters. I did it in my Betta tanks of course but loathe to have them elsewhere. In my future 196 gallon tank I would LOVE not to have one there too. I plan on sticking to hearty community species that do not require high 70s to low 80s. My Endlers, Hillstreams, Harlequins, Otos, Black Neons, Longfin Pleco, SAE and False Julii all seem to do well without heaters in their tanks. I think it brings out more natural behaviors too with the flux of temps through the day. If I can swing it, at least during the warmer seasons, then I will. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

The Fish Wife and the shrimplet’s will be headed out of town with me driving them back down to Bend and then they’ll make their way back when they’re sick of it or well who knows. 
while they’re away I’ll be working on cleaning up and organizing the fish room and getting some fry tanks ready - simply 20 longs with a sponge and a shop light. Goal is to start using a 15 g and another 20 long as breeding setups for Cory’s and to drop mops into. 

I have visions of setting up another 60 breeder to mirror the one I already have. Id like to do panda Cory’s and rainbow shiners. The 60 b I have now will be converted to Gymnogeophagus balzanii and another goodied species plus maybe Barbatus or palleatus Cory’s.  With the 50% going on now I’ll probably grab one this weekend. 
 

video dump!!

Summer tubing vibes

our girl Princess Peach is awesome 

Have fun everyone!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

We have flowers in the summer tubs! 

I believe these are “Siberian” irises. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’ve been busy in so many ways. It’s good and bad happy and sad but it’s what it is. On to the aquaria! 
 

@Patrick_Gand I connected on this forum years back. When my family and I came to the greater Seattle area he was kind and generous with information and even visited as I set up my fish room here. He then commiserated with me as I had setback after setback. We’re both GSAS members so we attend talks and auctions which has always been a highlight for me as f this experience. Well he’s been in a lull with his aquarists journey of late and so we set off on a journey through our local scene.  Bridges Pets in Snohomish, Moonlight Aquatics in Mill Creek, The Fish Store in Lake City, Aquarium Zen in the Roosevelt section of Seattle and Aquarium Coop in Edmonds. My family was away in Bend so I had nothing to distract from our epic journey. 
 

From my point of view we saw so many fish and at times some real surprises. Bridges probably had more killifish than anyone. They have so much stock that at times it was evident carcasses some fish with ice but also loads of NFS signs. I’m actually proud that I saw them at all the stores really. Species wise the diversity is astounding. Each shop does their thing and does it relatively well. 
 

Some critters & fish I’ve been thinking about: Cory’s more habrosus; Angels leopoldi if possible; blue Platys - I inherited a blue calico male whose either a dwarf or just underfed and I wanted to get him some lady friends; barbs - I’ve had a hankering for another group for my 45 soon to be 65 g; big amanos. 
 

Bridges had what I was looking for 2 tanks had blue Platys and calico at that. 

The fish store in Lake City is as interesting as it gets. Older aquaria are on display with an assortment of barbs, cichlids, rainbows and pea puffers. The plants big and beautiful I got some crypts and Homalomena Sekadau. They had 2 tanks of gorgeous Angels- nothing fancy just beautiful solid black stripes, beautiful finnage and they just exuded health. The price was criminal as he had 2 tanks and they needed to be sold. Here’s the 7 I’m now growing out in a 40 breeder. 

We then went to Aquarium Zen. Steve the proprietor has had a vision for the store. I visited years ago when I was in Seattle for a conference. Then when I moved here he was as away for some time and the staff were exceptionally knowledgeable but it did not have the same level of curation. Now it’s impeccable the diversity and quality is amazing. I got 7 red panda barbs and unfortunately I still have not gotten great video or photos but they’ve been beautiful and skittish and are starting to become part of the pack of dwarf chain loaches ever bolder and visible. 
 

We finished at the coop and I’m looking forward to the expansion and what the new store manager has planned. I bought my Xenotoca lyonsi there months ago and I’ve not regretted it. What a great fish?! @Patrick_G commented on the babies and I’ve just kept noticing how steady the production has been. 

I hope we’re all having fun and it was my great pleasure to go on this great journey with my fellow Nerm and GSAS member @Patrick_G.hopefully we’ll all get to see what he’s unleashed  to with plants, fish, animals he got on our journey. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Well we have a bingo ! 
 

The 7 x P. Scalare angelfish have paired up. I think I’ve got 2 pairs with one taking a slate and breeding! 

WOW what a development! More to come! 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

This week I had a rare opportunity to work in the fish room on a week night and a couple sessions this last weekend. It’s been beautiful weather wise in the NW. 

After some water changes and some happy fish I had an opportunity to do some work with some of the fish I’ve said I’d work on breeding. 

Unsurprisingly the angels ate their first clutch of eggs. Plan is to dedicate the 40 breeder to 2 pairs if possible. So that leaves 3 third wheels. I wanted to do a water change and see how they all did.

Well they were active and beautiful as well as spunky. The aggression died down for now. I’ll work on refining the stocking probably with some of the Angels with the variatus platys, endlers, similis corys, and F1 Rio Metae Apisto Macmasteri. I feel like I should consider dedicating a tank just to the Apistos. I have a 20 g long which could work. They’re gorgeous and have a more natural coloration vs some of the line bred ones I’ve seen. 

 

I’ve had some club members asking me for Aphyosemion primigenium I have 2 pairs in a 10 g. I got that image from AKA. I have some video of them that’s shakes and has a ton of glare. 

I put a trio in a 10 g I setup with mops and plants to see if after giving them really high protein foods for a week straight would they spawn. 

only time will tell but I know @Schuyler and @Patrick_Gwill hope this game of musical fish works! 
 

The panda barb babies just get cuter and more panda like. None of the red melon like color comes through unless they eat brine or cyclops. 

 

My wife is starting to have discussions with me about a greenhouse that could be connected to where my fish room would be. I floated the idea that my water change system could be connected to her greenhouse so she’d have a fresh supply of fish water which she loves. This is exciting as The Fish Wife has not always been open to these kinds of ideas. Further integration of our hobbies has benefits. I’m hoping that this along with further discussions about how to do our back yard project and potential ponds and water features could keep the momentum positive. 

Have fun everyone! 

[Schuyler]

On 8/19/2024 at 1:21 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I put a trio in a 10 g I setup with mops and plants to see if after giving them really high protein foods for a week straight would they spawn. 

only time will tell but I know @Schuyler and @Patrick_Gwill hope this game of musical fish works! 

Yay! What do you have as a substrate there?

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@SchuylerI use R/ODI so it’s a little bit of crushed coral, some leftover Akadama and lava rock. 

[Schuyler]

On 8/19/2024 at 2:19 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

@SchuylerI use R/ODI so it’s a little bit of crushed coral, some leftover Akadama and lava rock. 

Your setup feels perfect for experimenting with parameters. My Aphyosemion Ocellatum liked softer water with some tannins. Maybe you could try putting alder cones and botanicals in one and see if they prefer one or the other.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’ll see if I get a hatch in the next month in this one and I’ve got an identical tank next door and can throw a boatload of botanicals in there. I can fatten them up next 2 weeks and try again in tank 2. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Schuylerhere’s the second tank with the tannins.  

Alder cones, catapa and mulberry leaf tea plus I threw the leaves and cones in. I’ll wait until the weekend and throw another trio in for a few days and see what comes up in the next month 

[gjcarew]

Any update on the rainbows?

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@gjcarewtheyre doing well, still have 3 males 2 females, all colored up. I’ll post a video of them. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

My day out of clinic/rounds today @gjcarewso here’s the tank and the fish! 

As Gary Lange says just turn on the lights and give them a minute and bam here comes the show! 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’m having a good time in the fish room! 
 

Here’s my pair of P. scalarae and some eggs they put on the uplift tube. As it’s the new kind from the coop so I took one section off and put it in a grow out tank with some alder cones and catalpa leaves. 
 

I feel like they seem to be getting the breeding thing down. I’m keeping a light on this time. We’ll see if it works! 
 

Here’s the eggs! 

The 3 solo angels not paired were put into a 40 b with my Apisto pair, Variatus platys, Similis Corys and Endlers. 

I’m having fun. Hope you do too this weekend! 

[Odd Duck]

Very nice!  Excellent work!  You might consider angling the tube against a side so it’s less likely for any debris to land and stay on the eggs.  Angels like upright or angled laying sites for a good reason.  Also make sure you have good flow across the eggs.  Both help to minimize egg death.